WASHINGTON (December 3, 2013) -- Prominent climate scientist James Hansen and colleagues today announced publication of a new paper which argues, based on geologic data, that the current goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius is too dangerous and that policymakers should aim to limit the increase to one degree instead.

Dan Lashof, director of the Climate and Clean Air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, made the following statement:

“Hansen and his colleagues make a compelling case that we must end our reliance on fossil fuels as rapidly as possible. With less than one degree Celsius of global warming so far we are already seeing devastating effects on communities in the United States and around the world. As the International Energy Agency made clear today, without much stronger policies we will not only blow by the one degree limit urged by Hansen but the two degree limit embraced by governments around the world. That would be stunningly irresponsible and would violate our obligations to our children and future generations. This is a train wreck we can still avoid. The warming signs are unmistakable and we have the know-how to heed them. The world needs to come together, quickly, to take serious actions to slow, stop and reverse climate change.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.